The non-alcoholic beer (NAB) sector has experienced steady growth in recent years, with breweries continuously seeking new ways to fulfil consumer demands. NAB can be produced by limited fermentation of non-
Saccharomyces
yeasts; however, beer produced in this manner is often critiqued for its sweet taste and wort-like off-flavours due to high levels of residual sugars and lack of flavour metabolites. The use of
Lactobacillus
in limited co-fermentation with non-
Saccharomyces
yeasts is a novel approach to produce NABs with varying flavour and aroma characteristics. In this study, lab-scale fermentations of
Lachancea fermentati
KBI 12.1 and
Cyberlindnera subsufficiens
C6.1 with
Lactiplantibacillus plantarum
FST 1.7 were performed and compared to a brewer’s yeast,
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
WLP001. Fermentations were monitored for pH, TTA, extract reduction, alcohol production, and microbial cell count. The final beers were analysed for sugar and organic acid concentration, free amino nitrogen content (FAN), glycerol, and levels of volatile metabolites. The inability of the non-
Saccharomyces
yeasts to utilise maltotriose as an energy source resulted in extended fermentation times compared to
S. cerevisiae
WLP001. Co-fermentation of yeasts with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) resulted in a decreased pH, higher TTA and increased levels of lactic acid in the final beers. The overall acceptability of the NABs produced by co-fermentation was higher than or similar to that of the beers fermented with the yeasts alone, indicating that LAB fermentation did not negatively impact the sensory attributes of the beer.
C. subsufficiens
C6.1 and
L. plantarum
FST 1.7 NAB was characterised as fruity tasting with the significantly higher ester concentrations masking the wort-like flavours resulting from limited fermentation. NAB produced with
L. fermentati
KBI12.1 and
L. plantarum
FST1.7 had decreased levels of the undesirable volatile compound diacetyl and was described as ‘fruity’ and ‘acidic’, with the increased sourness masking the sweet, wort-like characteristics of the NAB. Moreover, this NAB was ranked as the most highly acceptable in the sensory evaluation. In conclusion, the limited co-fermentation of non-
Saccharomyces
yeasts with LAB is a promising strategy for the production of NAB.